Tough Spot and in desperate need of help!

[Teri Parks]

I thought I had my horse situation straightened out, but alas, I don't. What was supposed to be done isn't and I have fed 30 bales of hay in a month and 6 bags of grain for horses that are supposed to be on pasture. My mare with a foal has lost a tremendous amount of weight and I need to find pasture for them. I have two of my horses up for sale and am probably going to give one of them away soon. I just want to keep my lame mare and foal. I can do fencing, albeit, I have used most of the supplies I had on this person's fencing for my horses to lose weight. I have a couple of cedar posts left and that is about it. I need to move immediately because I am in a horrid situation with them.

[Teri Parks]

All of them are doing great now. The 2 yr old stud colt is on pasture and doing wonderful in his new home, my mare and baby are continuing to do well, although I will have to wean the baby a bit early due to the mare still struggling some. However, I think this goes back to her being in pain and I know that I will soon have to put her down. She has gained weight, but nearly as much as I would like. My chestnut barrel racing mare is living it up in lush grass just waiting to be a surrogate mommy. I keep in contact with everyone so I know how my horses are doing. Thanks for the kind comments Gale. Remember, don't knock age. My chestnut mare is 15-20 and she still runs barrels like a 10 yr old. The older horses tend to be great kids' horses.

[Gale]

I hope that all your horses are doing well now..I know how it is with the money situation..I raise Shihtzus and I have had several people wanting to trade me horses for my pups. For the right horse I might consider it. but these were old plugs, young studs.. you know.. the kind you really dont want around kids. I am looking for a pony for my grandsons though. Hope your horses do well...

[Teri Parks]

Good news. My barrel racing mare, Lady, has been leased out in a free lease to a gentleman who wants to use her as a surrogate. I created a contract to protect the both of us (mostly me). He came and picked her up last weekend and she is doing great. I am now just down to my mare and foal, at least for the next 2 yrs which is when he should be done with Lady. I tried my dangedest to sell her for only $500.00 with tack at a barrel race, but no one was even interested. So at least this way, I keep my tack and do not have to pay to feed Lady either. On a sadder note, my black mare is not doing much better. She is gaining weight fine, but she is still in a lot of pain from the bad ankle. Putting her to sleep is becoming more and more like my only option.

[Teri Parks]

I know the person I am giving the 2 yr old to. He is a good person and he has been helping me for the last month or so. He and his family just bought a home with some acreage, so I know the little man will have a good home. His wife is timid around horses and I know that Jack is so meek and mild mannered that he will help her gain her confidence. I told my friend to keep him money and go get Jack gelded. Also, since Jack is such a smooth and slow ride, he would be great for this guy because he has a bad back.


On another note, I removed my mare and foal from the situation and have them on a couple of acres full of grass. She is at a good place and after she recovers some then I am moving her to about 300 acres of cattle and grass. The gentleman who is taking the colt is letting the other mare eat on his tall grass down with Jack, so I am ok there. It has cost me the last of my money to move everyone and everything, but it is being done. Anyone need a part time worker who is very good with horses? lol. I can do most anything on a farm.

[Leslie Perry]

I think everybody is being a little tough on you! I admire anyone who takes in a "rescue horse" and it seems like that is what you've done here. I offered to foster a horse one time from a place in Sumner County a few years back (several horses were seized from a farm where they were being severely neglected), but since all the geldings they rescued had contagious skin infections, I was not able to. I couldn't put my own horses at risk! So I offered 35 bales of hay to the organization (this was during that awful drought when hay was going for $6 to $8 a bale); and they told me they preferred cash! Needless to say, I never contacted them again!
Anyway, I won't accuse you of not knowing what you're doing! But I DO know that hay, NOT grain, puts on the pounds! When our TWH was bitten by a rattlesnake and lost a bunch of weight, the vet told us to provide hay 24/7. Even though he had plenty of lush pasture at his disposal. (I think it was to keep him from having to graze to get enough to eat....he was so weak.)
I know this tough economy has people giving away horses left and right.....it's a double edged sword. People who have them can't afford to keep them, and nobody seems to have the money to spend on "luxuries" right now. But you may have to resort to giving one away for his own good. Just be sure you can check up on him! Killer buyers actually send women to places who pose as good hearted people looking for a "pet", and the poor horse ends up you-know-where! Please be careful if you DO decide to take that route. Is this the only one you are trying to sell? I see that you are selling "the riding horses". What exactly are you trying to sell?

[Susan]

Hay, Hay and real good hay for all. Feed them or give them away. FEED THEM HAY you do not have to grain them. KILLERS, well if that is what you want, you can give them away to good homes possibly. I do not have much but my horses eat before I do. There are ways to prevent this. I have been there.

[Teri Parks]

Yes, I am not dumb and realize that. He can't impregnate something that isn't in heat and receptive. He still mouths to the mares and sees them as surrogate mothers. i am sure that due to his severe lack of nutrition that he is a bit delayed compared to some other stud colts. I have no intention of keeping him another month or two without gelding him. I can't get him to UT and it is only 100$ to geld a stud colt, so why would I drive him all of the way to UT. I have already secured a home for him if he is not sold. The gentleman will geld him, but won't have to worry about it because he will be the only horse in the paddock. I have been around horses for about 40 yrs, so I do know what I am doing. I am just in a bad spot right now. I don't have any unwanted horses right now. I very much so want my horses and want to keep them, but without a miracle, I won't be able to. The sale of this wonderful colt is bothering my son because he loves his sweet loving nature and his very easy ride and gaits. But like i said, I don't have any unwanted babies, nor would I ever get any. I know how cycles work with horses and how to read my equine counterparts. They were not pastured together when I had any doubts. Right now, I have none. The fact he was ridden before the age of two has nothing to do with it. His knees are fused and he isn't ridden hard, nor a lot, therefore, It is only a plus because he just has to be finished. His only negative feature is the fact he isn't gelded yet. I guess I could have let him go to the killers, but I knew by his eyes that he was going to be a good horse, i just couldn't predict the series of things that has happened thereafter.

[Teri Parks]

No, not a gelding. His birthdate was supposed to be in Sept. He was a late colt. Actually not a whole lot of riding, just make what we do worth while. He is only actually ridden a couple times a week and lately that has been bareback with a cowboy halter around the yard because of time restraints. Most of his western pleasure training is done with long reins right now. I find I can do more on the ground than trying to explain to my son what to do. I usually do not start a horse as young as him, but without being broke, he is unmarketable. Many horses are started before 1.5 yrs, such as thoroughbreds.

Him being ungelded has never been a problem. He is even pastured with my mares currently and doesn't act one bit studdy. I know that if he is not sold in the next couple of months, that he will have to be gelded, but again, money I do not currently have.

[Teri Parks]

I have no place to keep them. I have been feeding my mare calf manna/ supplements and 3 scoops of grain a day, plus the foal eats his own. I know how to take care of them, I just do not have a place to keep them anymore. I have to have them moved or sold in the next week. I have two listed on the internet on two different sites, Agdirect and Dreamhorse, but no one is buying. I am living on campus and pasture around here is very expensive and the place I have them currently, like I said, is not working out because I am feeding them like they are in a stall, only I can't afford to, and paying an outrageous price for a field of dirt and weeds. My broodmare needs grass to keep weight on, no amount of grain with work like grass will. She was fat before I took her there. I have a place for her and her colt to go. I am selling the riding horses, not her and her baby.

I have a 2 yr old grade quarter colt for sale (natural horsemanship training, rode by a 13 yr old, been on trails, highways, with other horses, etc. Currently in training for western pleasure showmanship. He is my last rescue.) 15 yr old Quarab speed event mare that is great on trails and a good next step up for a child or adult that is learning to barrel race, etc. Both horses load, clip, tie, bathe, swim, lunge, etc. Both also can come with tack, especially the barrel horse since my son no longer wishes to run, both would come with 15" saddles, bridle and saddle blanket, but the mare's tack is matching lime green and also has the support boots.

[sheila coffman]

Do you just not have enough pasture? Your post was not real clear. What type of horse do you have and what is it you want to sell? Hay was plentiful this year of course I know it costs money. We all have had to down size. Perhaps you could lease out a couple of your horses. Lots of folks from everywhere read these be little more specific about what you need. As for mare with foal, feed the mare some calf manna. Don't just dump a bunch on her at once gradually add a little it used to come with a measuring box in bag but I would always start them out about half recommeded so I had no problem with scours. It will help with milk production and help put a little weight on her. If you can start getting the baby on some grain also even if young they will much around on it and he may slack off a little on her which will help. I am sure you wormed everything, but sure to rotate wormer and hope you gave mare and baby a tetnus very cheap prevention for what can be a disaster.